RL Garage mobile app interface showing trading platform and community features

Scaling React Native Gaming App to 6 Million Users

We helped Wavedash GmbH maintain and scale RL Garage - the #1 Rocket League companion app - adding 1M+ users, optimizing performance, and building high-performance features for the world's largest Rocket League trading platform.

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6M+
Total registered users
1M+
Users added during partnership
4.2★
App Store rating
1+ year
Ongoing partnership
Inheriting a 5-year-old codebase from multiple developers is challenging. But the real complexity was maintaining stability while scaling to millions of users and continuously adding features.

🎯The Challenge

Laurids Düllmann, founder of Wavedash GmbH, needed an independent and responsible developer to take over mobile app development for RL Garage - the world's largest Rocket League companion app.

Key challenges:

  • App in production for 5 years with multiple previous developers
  • Large codebase requiring deep understanding
  • Current developer becoming unavailable
  • Need for seamless team integration
  • Millions of active users requiring zero-downtime updates

💡Our Solution

We assigned an experienced React Native developer who quickly ramped up on the codebase and integrated seamlessly with the client's workflow. For particular technical challenges, we provided additional short-term specialists as needed.

Our developer took ownership of the entire mobile app development process, working directly with the client's team and contributing to both frontend and backend development.

Using a dedicated team approach, we ensured continuous progress, consistent quality, and deep product knowledge that enabled us to handle everything from feature development to platform updates to performance optimization.

About RL Garage

The World's #1 Rocket League Network

Founded in 2015 by Laurids Düllmann and Chris Dolman, RL Garage became the world's first fan site for Rocket League and has grown into the largest trading platform and community hub for the game.

Operated by Wavedash GmbH (Berlin, Germany), RL Garage serves millions of players worldwide with comprehensive trading features, car design tools, player statistics, clip sharing, and community discussions. The platform spans web, iOS, Android, and desktop applications.

RL Garage offers both free access and premium membership ($2.99) with enhanced trading features, demonstrating a sustainable business model in the competitive gaming companion app market.

By the Numbers

  • 6,000,000+Registered users on the platform
  • 4.2★ ratingiOS App Store (5,000+ ratings)
  • 12 languagesEnglish + 11 additional languages

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Transformation Overview

Before

Traditional Process

Performance Issues
App experiencing hangings and crashes affecting user experience
Developer Unavailability
Previous developer becoming unavailable with knowledge gaps
Outdated Architecture
Legacy code patterns and older React Native versions
High Service Costs
Inefficient resource usage driving up operational expenses
Limited Features
Missing modern capabilities like rich text editing and advanced animations
After

Digital Solution

Optimized Performance
Solved critical hangings and crashes, optimized video/image loading for smooth experience
Dedicated Ownership
Experienced developer with deep product knowledge and full autonomy
Modern Platform
Successfully performed several major React Native updates while maintaining stability
Cost Optimization
Reduced service usage costs through efficiency improvements and optimization
Advanced Capabilities
Custom rich text editor, complex animations, efficient in-app purchases and ads

Results Delivered

Growth Impact

  • 1,000,000+ new users joined the platform during the year
  • Maintained 4.2-star rating on App Store with 5,000+ reviews
  • Successfully scaled infrastructure to support 6M+ total users

Technical Achievements

  • Solved critical performance issues that caused app hangings and crashes
  • Optimized video & image collections for faster loading and smooth scrolling
  • Reduced service costs through efficiency improvements in resource usage
  • Successfully performed multiple major React Native updates while maintaining app stability

New Capabilities Built

  • Custom rich text editor with custom emojis and GIF support for community posts
  • Complex animations enhancing user experience and engagement
  • Modernized monetization with more efficient in-app purchases and advertisement integration
  • Enhanced stability through proactive maintenance and user feedback response

Before Optimization

RL Garage app interface before performance optimization

After Optimization

RL Garage app interface after performance optimization showing improved UI

Need Performance Optimization?

Our React Native specialists can diagnose crashes, optimize load times, and reduce infrastructure costs - just like we did for RL Garage.

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Development Process

01
🔍

Codebase Analysis

Deep dive into legacy code

Analyzed 5-year-old codebase, understood architecture decisions, identified technical debt, and documented patterns from multiple previous developers to plan improvements.

02
🤝

Team Integration

Seamless workflow adoption

Integrated with existing team on Slack, adopted client's direct management approach, established asynchronous communication with Loom demos for efficient collaboration.

03
⚡

Stabilization & Updates

Platform modernization

Performed major React Native platform updates, fixed critical performance issues causing crashes, maintained app stability while adding new capabilities.

04
🚀

Feature Development

High-performance capabilities

Built custom rich text editor with emojis/gifs, implemented efficient monetization approaches, created complex animations, optimized video/image performance.

05
📈

Optimization & Growth

Cost reduction & scaling

Reduced service costs through efficiency improvements, optimized resource usage, enabled scaling to 6M+ users, supported 1M+ user growth during partnership year.

06
🔄

Continuous Improvement

Ongoing maintenance

Regular app maintenance, response to user feedback tickets, continuous bug fixes, feature enhancements based on user needs and game updates.

Technologies Used

React Native

React Native

Redux

Redux

Redis

Redis

Socket.io

Socket.io

Firebase

Firebase

Amazon Web Services

AWS

Services we provided:
Mobile App DevelopmentProduct DevelopmentDedicated Team
Laurids Düllmann, Founder of Wavedash GmbH

ProductCrafters always found a way to implement what we wanted. Everyone there is impressively dedicated to delivering a perfect solution. Their dedication is unmatched.

Laurids Düllmann

Founder, Wavedash GmbH

Project Highlights:

  • Scaled to 6M+ users with 1M+ added during partnership
  • Successfully performed major React Native platform updates
  • Cost optimization through efficiency improvements
  • 1+ year ongoing partnership with consistent quality

Need to Scale Your Mobile App?

Whether you're maintaining a legacy codebase, scaling to millions of users, or building from scratch - we provide dedicated React Native developers who deliver results.

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Serving Gaming Communities Worldwide

Book a consultation

RL Garage connects Rocket League players across all platforms globally, with ProductCrafters providing development expertise from our international team.

ProductCrafters global presence map
Click to enlarge

Our offices

🇵🇹

Portugal

Cascais

🇺🇦

Ukraine

Proskurivska 45, Khmelnytskyi

🇪🇪

Estonia

Kaupmehe tn 7-120, Tallinn, 10114

5.0
★★★★★16 reviews
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FaQ

Gaming companion app development costs vary based on features, platforms, and complexity. A basic companion app starts at $30,000-$50,000, while feature-rich platforms with trading, social features, and real-time updates (like RL Garage) typically range from $100,000 to $300,000+. Costs depend on backend complexity, third-party integrations, and scale requirements. Contact us for a free consultation to estimate your specific project.

Yes, we specialize in taking over existing apps with large codebases and multiple previous developers. We provide dedicated React Native developers who integrate seamlessly with your team, handle platform updates, fix performance issues, add new features, and maintain stability. Our RL Garage partnership demonstrates this - we joined a 5-year-old production app and successfully scaled it to 6 million users.

Yes, performance optimization is a core strength. We've solved critical issues like app hangings, crashes, slow image/video loading, and inefficient rendering. Our optimization work on RL Garage included: solving performance bottlenecks, optimizing video and image collections, reducing service costs through efficiency improvements, and performing major React Native platform updates. We use profiling tools and best practices to ensure smooth, fast apps.

Successful gaming companion apps combine: real-time data and updates, social features (trading, forums, friends), performance optimization (fast load times, smooth animations), regular content updates aligned with game updates, push notifications for important events, offline capabilities where needed, and clean, intuitive UI. RL Garage's success (6M users, #1 for Rocket League) demonstrates these principles in action.

Gaming companion app development costs vary based on features, platforms, and complexity. A basic companion app starts at $30,000-$50,000, while feature-rich platforms with trading, social features, and real-time updates (like RL Garage) typically range from $100,000 to $300,000+. Costs depend on backend complexity, third-party integrations, and scale requirements. Contact us for a free consultation to estimate your specific project.

Yes, we specialize in taking over existing apps with large codebases and multiple previous developers. We provide dedicated React Native developers who integrate seamlessly with your team, handle platform updates, fix performance issues, add new features, and maintain stability. Our RL Garage partnership demonstrates this - we joined a 5-year-old production app and successfully scaled it to 6 million users.

Yes, performance optimization is a core strength. We've solved critical issues like app hangings, crashes, slow image/video loading, and inefficient rendering. Our optimization work on RL Garage included: solving performance bottlenecks, optimizing video and image collections, reducing service costs through efficiency improvements, and performing major React Native platform updates. We use profiling tools and best practices to ensure smooth, fast apps.

For gaming companion apps, React Native is ideal for cross-platform development (iOS and Android from one codebase). We pair it with Redux for state management, Socket.io for real-time features, Firebase for push notifications, and AWS for scalable backend infrastructure. This stack enables fast development, great performance, and easy maintenance - perfect for gaming apps that need frequent updates.

React Native development timelines vary by complexity. A basic gaming companion app takes 3-4 months for MVP, while feature-rich platforms with trading, social features, and complex UI require 6-12 months. React Native's cross-platform nature speeds development significantly compared to building separate iOS and Android apps. We use agile methodology to deliver working versions incrementally.

Yes, our dedicated team model is perfect for ongoing app development. We provide experienced React Native developers who work directly with your team, communicate daily via Slack, use your project management tools, and adapt to your workflow. This model offers flexibility, deep product knowledge, and consistent quality - ideal for apps requiring continuous feature development and maintenance.

Yes, we implement various monetization strategies including in-app purchases (subscriptions, one-time purchases), advertisement integration (banner ads, interstitial, rewarded videos), premium membership features, and payment processing. For RL Garage, we implemented newer, more efficient approaches to in-app purchases and advertisements that improved revenue while maintaining user experience.

For gaming companion apps, React Native is ideal for cross-platform development (iOS and Android from one codebase). We pair it with Redux for state management, Socket.io for real-time features, Firebase for push notifications, and AWS for scalable backend infrastructure. This stack enables fast development, great performance, and easy maintenance - perfect for gaming apps that need frequent updates.

React Native development timelines vary by complexity. A basic gaming companion app takes 3-4 months for MVP, while feature-rich platforms with trading, social features, and complex UI require 6-12 months. React Native's cross-platform nature speeds development significantly compared to building separate iOS and Android apps. We use agile methodology to deliver working versions incrementally.

Yes, our dedicated team model is perfect for ongoing app development. We provide experienced React Native developers who work directly with your team, communicate daily via Slack, use your project management tools, and adapt to your workflow. This model offers flexibility, deep product knowledge, and consistent quality - ideal for apps requiring continuous feature development and maintenance.
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Mobile App Development Timeline

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Week 1

Discovery & Architecture

Technical audit, no commitment
1
Month 1-2

MVP Launch

Core features and user testing
2
Month 3-4

Full Platform

Mobile apps, optimization, scale
$6M+Raised by clients
15+5-star reviews
2+ yrsAvg. partnership
Oleg Kalyta

Oleg Kalyta

Founder & AI Lead
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Oleg Kalyta

Oleg Kalyta

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